Method and apparatus for making hip stockings for panty hose and the like

ABSTRACT

A method of making stockings for panty hose comprising the steps of placing a crude stocking on a hose mold for shaping and treatment and making an elongated cut in the texture of said stocking while in place on said hose mold. The apparatus of the invention includes a shaped hose mold for shaping and treatment of a hip length stocking placed thereon and a cutting means is mounted on the hose mold or in the path of said mold for making a precise elongated cut in the hip portion of a stocking which is placed on the hose mold so that a pair of said stockings may later be assembled into a pair of panty hose or may be worn as hip-high stockings.

D United States Patent 1 13,5s0,437

[72] Inventor Fritz Vorberg [56] Ref r ces Cit d Blschofmn'wmkb Germany UNITED STATES PATENTS [211 P 7971847 3,191,562 6/1965 Frankel 112/252 [22] PM 1969 2 245 502 6/1941 s h 223/7 5 Patented May 25,1971 2,669,765 2,1954

uton 223/75X [73] Ass'gnee AG 3 362 029 H1968 c 2/240 Zug Switzerland omerrna [32] Priority Mar. 5, 1968 Primary Examiner-Patrick D. Lawson [33] Germany Assistant Examiner-George V. Larkin [31 G52570 Attorney-Mason, Kolehmainen, Rathburn & Wyss ABSTRACT: A method of making stockings for panty hose comprising the steps of placing a crude stocking on a hose mold for shaping and treatment and making an elongated cut [54] in the texture of said stocking while in place on said hose 10 C] 7 Drawin Fi mold. The apparatus of the invention includes a shaped hose g mold for shaping and treatment of a hip length stocking placed [52] US. Cl 223/75, thereon and a cutting means is mounted on the hose mold or I 12/ l 30, 223/ l 2/240 in the path of said mold for making a precise elongated cut in [51] Int. Cl D06c 5/00 the hip portion of a stocking which is placed on the hose mold Field of Search 223/- so that a pair of said stockings may later beassembled into a pair of panty hose or may be worn as hip-high stockings.

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PATENTEU HAYES l9?! SHEET 8 0F 5 Fig- 5b METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING HIP STOCKINGS FOR PANTY HOSE AND THE LIKE The present invention relates to a new and improved method and apparatus for making hip-high stockings and stockings for panty hose and more particularly to a method and apparatus for making a cut or slit in the weave or knitting of the stocking in the hip portions thereof. The invention is adapted for stockings made of natural fiber and is especially suited for fine or shear hosiery woven from strands or threads of synthetic heat-softenable material.

In hip length hose or stockings the inside part of the upper or hip portion thereof is formed with a longitudinal slit therein extending downwardly in the direction towards the toe of the stocking and a pair'of said stockings, right and left, are then assembled and sewn together after the slits have been made therein to form a complete pair of panty hose, panty stockings, or leotards, as they may be called. In accordance with the prior art, a special operation was required for slitting or cutting the upper portion of the hip length stocking after the hose was formed and shaped on a hose mold. This special cutting operation required an additional step in the process of manufacture and was expensive both in terms of labor and time.

The present invention eliminates the need for a special or additional step wherein the cutting or slitting operation takes place and reduces expenditures in labor and time by providing the prerequisite for an automation of the process of fitting or cutting the hose while the hose is being formed to shape. In the present invention, after completion of the weaving or knitting of an individual hose or stocking, the stocking is placed on a hose mold for shaping and while on the hose mold the slit or cut in the upper or hip portion is made therein. While on the hose mold the hip stockings may be treated in processes for classification, fixing, or dyeing, if necessary, in addition to the shaping operation after which the stockings are slitted, as described.

Because the hose molds can be readily and accurately orientated, the cutting or slitting operation of the hose placed thereon can be readily automated so that the precise point or line of cut always occurs at the exact same location on a stocking placed on the mold.

If after the cutting and/or slitting operation in the upper hip portion is completed, the hose is to be subjected to further treatment on the hose mold or elsewhere, it may be expedient to have the cut or slitting made in such manner that the cut does not extend all the way upwardly to the upper edge or end of the hose or stocking. In the case of hose having an upper margin-reinforcing strip or double edge portion around the edge of the stocking, the slitting or cutting of the hose on the mold is, in accordance with the invention, started just below the upper marginal strip or double edge portion and extended downwardly towards the foot of the hose. The upper marginal strip or double edge portion then is subsequently cut through at a later time in the manufacturing operation when pairs of hip-length stockings or hose are assembled together to form a pair of panty hose.

In accordance with present invention, the cutting or slitting operation is accomplished in a simple manner, and in cases where extremely fine or shear hosiery is formed of fusible plastic threads or strands, the cutting or slitting operation is produced by fusion of the threads along the desired line with the cutting means comprising a heated wire or another heated member located in the path of the hose mold.

An apparatus embodying the present invention includes a ripping or cutting device permanently mounted on a hose mold on the proper location thereon, or located in the path of a travelling hose mold, so that the hose mold, which is used for the shaping of the hose placed thereon during classification and/or fixation will properly orient the position of the cut. If an installation for the manufacture of such hosiery in accordance with the present invention employs a number of a heated element preferably an electrically heated wire which is raised to the fusion temperature of the fabric. The current flow through the wire and the heated wire is supplied to effect the cutting or slitting of the weave of the hose in the hip portion. If several cuts are desired in a single base, a plurality of such heating wires may, of course, be attached to a single hose mold to provide the necessary plural slits. When a hose or stocking formed of silk or cotton material is in process, which material is not susceptible to cutting by heated wire or fusion of the strands, as in the case of synthetics, the hose is mounted on the hose mold and a mechanical shears or knife assembly carried on the hose mold is displaced in a longitudinal direction thereon for effecting the splitting or cutting action through the fibers of the material. Again, because the cutting device is permanently mounted on the hose mold, the precise location of the cutting or slitting is always obtained.

For a better understanding of the present invention reference should be had to the following detailed description and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of an apparatus for making stockings in accordance with the present invention and comprising a hose mold for the shaping of the stockings and in the electrically actuated cutting apparatus mounted thereon for effecting the slitting or cutting of the hose or stocking placed on the hose mold;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged, detailed, plane view of the cutting apparatus, according to FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view taken substantially along line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged side elevational view of one embodiment of a mechanical cutting device for slitting or cutting hiplength stockings in accordance-with the present invention;

FIG. 5a is a sectional view taken substantially along line 5a-5a ofFIG. 4;

FIG. 5b is a sectional view looking in a direction of arrow 5b in FIG. 4; and

FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevational view of an automatically automatically cutting apparatus for slitting or cutting stockings in accordance with the present invention.

Referring now, more particularly, to the drawings, in the embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 1 through 3, a cutting or slitting operation is performed on the upper or hip portion of a hip length stocking or hose comprising one-half of a panty hose. The hose or stocking is formed of synthetic material having heat fusible threads or fibers, and the slitting or cutting is accomplished by means of a heated wire 11 which is mounted one side of an upstanding, electrically conductive, shaped hose mold 10, preferably made of light metal. The crude hose or stockings are placed on the hose mold for shaping, dyeing, or treatment with the toe or foot at the top or upper end and the cutting or slitting wire 11 is mounted adjacent the lower end of the hose mold 10 for cutting or slitting the upper hip portion of a stocking placed thereon.

The lower end of the wire 11 is attached to a carriage l3 movably mounted in a guide 14 which is permanently fastened to the hose mold and the carriage is movable in a longitudinal direction on the mold so that the wire can be maintained under tension, even when the wire expands in length while heated. The weight of the carriage I3 may provide sufficient tension on the wire during heating; however, in the embodiment illustrated additional pressure springs are provided to firmly bias the carriage l3 downwardly and more positively maintain tension on the wire during heating thereof.

The upper ends of springs 25 are seated in recesses formed in a bight portion or connecting yoke 14a extending between tow opposite guide rails 14b of the U-shaped guides 14 which support the carriage 13 for vertical movement. The lower end of the heating wire is electrically insulated with regard to the hose mold l0 and for that purpose the carriage is made of electrically nonconductive or insulating material. As shown in FIG. 1, the lower end 12' of the wire 11 is connected via a flexible lead 15 to a sliding contact 16 mounted on the hose mold and electrically insulated therefrom.

The hose mold is supported on a chain or link member 17 of a conveyor system 17, and the conveyor system is mounted for movement around a track or support; for example, a rail 17". The rail is grounded electrically by connection to the lower terminal of a suitable electrical power source illustrated as at 18, and the upper or opposite terminal of the power source is connected to a stationary contact member 18. Depending on the speed at which the conveyor system 17 is operated and on the time required for current flow through the heating wire 11 to heat the wire to sufficient cutting temperature, the contact 18 is dimensioned appropriately in width to provide for a desired predetermined period of contact between the contacts 16 and 18 as the hose mold 10 is moved by the conveyor system 17.

When the circuit for supplying electricity to heat the wire 11 is established by closing of the contacts 16 and 18 for a selected interval or period of time, current flows from the upper tenninal of the electric power source 18 to the moving contact 16 on the hose mold via the stationary contact 18' and through the flexible lead to the lower end 12' of the cutting wire 11. This current flow heats the wire to a glowing red temperature and passes through the upper end 12 of the wire to the conductive body of the hose mold 10 and on to the grounded side or lower terminal of the power source 18 via the chain link 17' which carries the mold and rests on the supporting rail 17'.'. When the heating wire 11 is heated by current flow to a glowing or incandescent temperature, it melts the threads of the weave of a hose or stocking which has previously been positioned or pulled over the hose mold 10 for shaping and treatment. The melting of the thread produces an elongated cut or slit in the stocking along the line of the wire.

The cutting wire 11 is supported on the hose mold 10 at its upper and lower ends and is supported in spaced parallel relation outwardly of the adjacent side surface of the hose mold. The upper end 12 of the cutting wire 11 is supported by means of a bushing and screw 20 extending through the hose mold and a coaxiallyaligned counterscrew 21 and washer 22. The washer 22 has a passage slot 22a for receiving the upper end portion of the heating wire and the wire is seated in a groove 21a formed in the head of the counterscrew. The groove 21a guides and centers the upper end portion of the wire in the proper place for cutting a hose or stocking positioned on the hose mold. The lower end 12' of the cutting wire is fastened to the movable carriage 13 by a similar screw assembly identified by the numeral 24. The screw assembly 24 is electrically connected to a contact pin 23 which is mounted on the insulating carriage l3, and the flexible lead 15 is connected to the contact pin 23.

In accordance with the invention, a crude hose, formed of woven fusible strands of synthetic plastic material is positioned on the hose mold 10 before the hose mold has reached the position shown in FIG. 2. The conveyor system 17 moves the hose mold toward the position of FIG. 1, wherein contact is initially established between the contacts 16 and 18 for a predetermined period to energize the cutting wire 11. The cutting wire is heated to a temperature sufficient for melting the threads of the hose along the length of the wire, thus producing an elongated cut or slit in the upper hip portion of the hose or stocking at the desired location therein. As the wire is heated by the current flow therethrough, it begins to elongate; however, tension is always maintained on the heated wire because of the springs 25 and the weight of the movable carriage member 13 which is slidably mounted in the guide 14. Because tension is always maintained, the cut or slit in the fabric of the hose or stocking is generally along a straight line and is accurately located on the inside hip or upper portion of the stocking placed on the hose mold 10.

Referring now to FIGS. 4, 5a, and 5b therein is illustrated another embodiment of the invention employing a mechanical cutting apparatus for slitting the hose, rather than a heated wire. The cutting apparatus of this embodiment may be used for cutting or slitting the weave of fabric of hose or stockings placed on the hose mold. The apparatus can be used with hose or stockings of synthetic materials having heat fusible strands or weave and can also be used with hose fashioned of natural fibers, such cotton, cotton, silk, or other fibers which are not readily fusible or cut by a heating.

FIG. 4 shows only a fragmentary lower end portion of a hose mold 10', similar to the hose mold 10 and on which a mechanical cutting or slitting apparatus is mounted. The mechanical cutting apparatus includes a carriage 32 mounted for upward and downward sliding movement on the hose mold and guided between two parallel guide rails 39 and 31, which are permanently attached to the side of the hose mold. A knife or shear 33 having an upper cutting edge 33a is mounted on the carriage to cut or slit the weave of a stocking which has been placed on the hose mold 10 for treatment. A rope, belt, or chain 34 is connected to the carriage as shown in FIG. 4 for moving the cutting knife 33. The rope is guided by a pair of pulleys 35 and 36 mounted for rotation on the body of the hose mold 10 and a lower support foot 10a, respectively which support the mold from a conveyor chain link (not shown).

In order to make a cut or slit, one of the pulleys (in the embodiment shown, the lower pulley 36) is drivingly rotated by means of an electric motor 37a which is mounted for pivotal movement on a stationary vertical shaft 37b, as shown in FIG. 5b. A reset spring (not shown) is used to pivot and return the motor 37a into a reposing position shown in FIG. 5 after each pivoting movement thereof around the shaft caused by engagement between the pulley 36 and a friction wheel 37d mounted on the rotor shaft 73c of the motor. The friction wheel 37d is adapted to remain in driving contact for a short time against the pulley 36 and a friction wheel 37d mounted on the rotor shaft 730 of the motor. The friction wheel 37d is adapted to remain in driving contact for a short time against the pulley 36, as will be described for effecting a cut or slit in a hose or stocking placed on the hose mold.

A conveyor (not shown) like the conveyor 17 of the prior embodiment, is used for moving the hose molds 10 in a direction of the arrow F (FIG. 5b) and as each hose mold is moved past the stationary, pivotally mounted motor 37a, the lower pulley 36 momentarily engages the frustoconically shaped, motor driven friction wheel 37d, which engagement causes the pulley 36 to rotate. During this engagement and further movement of the hose mold 10 in the direction of the arrow F" relative to the motor 37a, the motor drivingly rotates the pulley 36 through the friction wheel 37d and, at the same time the electric motor 37a is pivoted in acounterclockwise direction around the supporting shaft 37b until the pulley has moved past the position of the motor and then the rest spring returns the motor to its original position with the rotor shaft 370 parallel to the arrow F The depth of thickness of the friction wheel 37d is selected so that the interval of driving engagement between the pulley and wheel is long enough to effect the desired amount or full stroke of vertical travel of the carriage 32 and knife 33. Upward and downward movement of the carriage 32 is limited and adjustable to the length of cut desired in the hose and, for that purpose, at least one stop is mounted on the guide rail in the path of the moving carriage 32. The stop can then be moved or exchanged, if necessary, to provide for different lengths of cut and preferably both an upper stop 39 and a lower stop 39 are provided. After the carriage has moved against the upper stop 39, it is returned to its original position by a pair of recoil springs 38.

In FIG. 6, another embodiment of a mechanical cutting or slitting apparatus is shown which employs a knife or shear mechanism, generally indicated as 40, mounted on a movable carriage which is guided for movement between two guide rails 42 fastened onto the surface of a hose mold 10"similar to the prior hose molds 10 and 10. The carriage 41 is movable upwardly and downwardly on the hose mold and is driven by a Z-shaped lifter 43 having a lower leg guided for vertical movement by a carriage 45 slidably mounted between a second pair of guide rails 44 fastened to the hose mold 10". At the lower end of the lower leg of the lifter 43 is provided a follower roller 46 which moves along with the hose mold as it is moved in a lateral direction from right to left, or vice versa, as viewed in FIG. 6, by a suitable conveyor (not shown) like the conveyor of the first embodiment. The follower roller 46 is adapted to engage and ride up and down on a stationary cam rail 47 which causes the lifter 43 and carriage 41 to rise a prescribed distance for moving the cutting apparatus 40 to cut the hose or stocking on the hose mold After cutting is completed, the follower 46 passes beyond the cam 47 and the lifter 43 returns downwardly to a rest position against a stop 48 at the lower end of the hose mold 10" by a resetting spring 49.

The cutting apparatus 40 includes a pair of knives 50, one of which is fixedly mounted on the upper leg of the lifter 43 and the other knife is mounted in closed shearing relation to the fixed knife for vibrating relative movement on the lifter in order to produce a vibrating shearing action between the knives to aid in cutting the hose or stockings. The movable knife 50 is actuated by a rod 51 which is driven by a reciprocating or oscillating armature of an electric motor 52 mounted on the lifter 43. In order to prevent the motor 52 from running continuously when no cutting is taking place, a contact strip 53 is fixedly mounted to the hose mold 10" for sliding contact with a finger 54 for supplying current to the motor. The contact strip 53 is positioned on the hose mold 10" with its lower end spaced above the contact finger 54 when the motor and lifter 43 are in a lower or rest position. When the lifter 43 begins to elevate as the roller 46 rides upwardly on the cam rail 47, the finger 54 moves into engagement with the contact strip 53, thus energizing the motor 52 and vibrating the armature rod 51 and causing the movable knife 50 to vibrate relative to the fixed knife 50 as the cut is being made. When the cutting apparatus 40 is then returned to its lower position after the cut is completed, the motor 52 is deenergized as the finger 54 moves below the contact slip 53.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the present invention provides a new and improved method for slitting or cutting a hip stocking in the upper or hip portion thereof so that the stocking may be used in making a panty hose or panty stocking. The cutting operation is accomplished while the stocking is being shaped and treated in position on a hose mold, thus eliminating an extra cutting and slitting operation. The apparatus of the present invention employs novel cutting means for making the slits or cuts in the hose mold, and when synthetic, fusible strands or fabrics are used in the hose the cutting is accomplished by a heated wire which melts and fuses the threads in the fabric to produce the cut. In the alternative, a mechanical cutting arrangement, as shown in FIGS. 4 through 6, can be utilized to effect the slitting or cutting action in hose placed on the hose mold. The mechanical cutter can be used with hose or stockings or both synthetic and natural fibers. It is to be understood that cutting apparatus can be positioned on opposite sides of a'hose mold to produce cuts on opposite sides of the hose and more than one cutting apparatus can be employed on a single side to make multiple cuts. Also, it is to be understood that the location of the cutting apparatus on the hose mold can be adjusted to effect the desired location of the cut on the hose without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention, and it should be noted that when a heated wire is used for producing the cuts, one or more heated wires in shapes other than straight lines can be used if different shaped cuts are required.

While there have been shown and described several embodiments of the present invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the invention in its broader aspects, and it is, therefore, contemplated in the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the Unites'States is:

I claim:

1. A method for making an elongated cut in the texture of a stocking for producing hip-high stockings and stockings for panty hose comprising the steps of placing a crude hip length stocking on a hose mold; shaping and treating said stocking while still in place on said mold and precisely cutting an elongated slit in the hip portion of said stocking while still in place on said hose mold.

2. The method of claim 2 wherein said cut is made after the stocking has been shaped and treated.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said stocking is formed of thermoplastic strands and said cut is produced by heating to melt through said strands.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein said cut is produced by moving knife means penetrating a portion of said stocking on said hose mold.

5. Apparatus for making stockings for panty hose comprising an elongated hose mold having a free outer end portion adapted to receive a stocking for shaping and treatment thereof, and cutting means mounted on said hose mold to making an elongated slit cut in a stocking placed on said mold, said cutting means including an elongated electrically heated wire mounted on one side of said hose mold to engaging said stocking to cut the same by melting the strands thereof.

6.-The apparatus of claim 5 including a pair of support means mounted on said hose mold to supporting opposite ends of said heating wire, one of said support means mounted for movement toward and away from the other, and means for biasing said one support means away from the other to exert tension on said heating wire.

7. Apparatus for making stockings for panty hose comprising an elongated hose mold having a free outer end portion adapted to receive a stocking for shaping and treatment thereof, and cutting means mounted on said hose mold for making an elongated slit cut in a stocking placed on said mold said hose mold being formed of electrically conductive material and being electrically connected to one end of said heating wire and insulator support means for supporting the other end of said heating wire in electrically insulated relation on said hose mold.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, including a fixed contact member, means for moving said hose mold relative to said fixed contact member, and a second contact member mounted on said hose mold and electrically connected to said other end of said heating wire movement of said hose mold past said fixed contact member being effective to establish electrical contact between contact members for supplying current to said heating wire during a period while said contact is established.

9. Apparatus for making stockings for panty hose comprising an elongated hose mold having a free outer end portion adapted to receive a stocking for shaping and treatment thereof, and cutting means for making an elongated slit cut in a stocking placed on said mold, said cutting means including knife means mounted for sliding movement on said hose mold between a pair of stop positions.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, including conveyor means for moving said hose mold along a path, cam means along said path and follower means connected to said knife means for moving the same to cut said stocking when said hose mold is moved past said cam means. 

1. A method for making an elongated cut in the texture of a stocking for producing hip-high stockings and stockings for panty hose comprising the steps of placing a crude hip length stocking on a hose mold; shaping and treating said stocking while still in place on said mold and precisely cutting an elongated slit in the hip portion of said stocking while still in place on said hose mold.
 2. The method of claim 2 wherein said cut is made after the stocking has been shaped and treated.
 3. The method of claim 1 wherein said stocking is formed of thermoplastic strands and said cut is produced by heating to melt through said strands.
 4. The method of claim 2 wherein said cut is produced by moving knife means penetrating a portion of said stocking on said hose mold.
 5. Apparatus for making stockings for panty hose comprising an elongated hose mold having a free outer end portion adapted to receive a stocking for shaping and treatment thereof, and cutting means mounted on said hose molD to making an elongated slit cut in a stocking placed on said mold, said cutting means including an elongated electrically heated wire mounted on one side of said hose mold to engaging said stocking to cut the same by melting the strands thereof.
 6. The apparatus of claim 5 including a pair of support means mounted on said hose mold to supporting opposite ends of said heating wire, one of said support means mounted for movement toward and away from the other, and means for biasing said one support means away from the other to exert tension on said heating wire.
 7. Apparatus for making stockings for panty hose comprising an elongated hose mold having a free outer end portion adapted to receive a stocking for shaping and treatment thereof, and cutting means mounted on said hose mold for making an elongated slit cut in a stocking placed on said mold said hose mold being formed of electrically conductive material and being electrically connected to one end of said heating wire and insulator support means for supporting the other end of said heating wire in electrically insulated relation on said hose mold.
 8. The apparatus of claim 7, including a fixed contact member, means for moving said hose mold relative to said fixed contact member, and a second contact member mounted on said hose mold and electrically connected to said other end of said heating wire movement of said hose mold past said fixed contact member being effective to establish electrical contact between contact members for supplying current to said heating wire during a period while said contact is established.
 9. Apparatus for making stockings for panty hose comprising an elongated hose mold having a free outer end portion adapted to receive a stocking for shaping and treatment thereof, and cutting means for making an elongated slit cut in a stocking placed on said mold, said cutting means including knife means mounted for sliding movement on said hose mold between a pair of stop positions.
 10. The apparatus of claim 9, including conveyor means for moving said hose mold along a path, cam means along said path and follower means connected to said knife means for moving the same to cut said stocking when said hose mold is moved past said cam means. 